So, you just found out you're
pregnant, congratulations! How far along are you?
How do you measure that? Well, it all depends on how well you
kept track of your cycle. Health care providers and OBGYNs
count pregnancy from the first day of your last menstrual
period. That would make you approximately 4-5 weeks pregnant
by the time your next period is late, around the time you took your
home pregnancy test. Gee, that went fast, right?
But, you have not technically been
pregnant that long! You're most likely 2 weeks pregnant, if
measured by the actual date of ovulation and conception. The
pregnancy really began when your egg was fertilized, 10-14 days
ago.
When a woman conceives, it is within a
24-48 hour window either before or after ovulation occurs.
This is usually around day 14-18 of a woman's cycle. But
let's go back to the beginning of this cycle. You're 2 weeks
pregnant, so when did your cycle start?
The first cycle day is the first day
of the menstrual period. It may last 5-7 days.
Then, in another week, the ovaries prepare to release an egg.
Ovulation typically occurs between day 14 and 18 of that
cycle. If there is sperm at the top of the fallopian tube
waiting for the release of the egg, (sperm can survive for up to 5
days), the egg could be fertilized. It takes another 6-8 days
for a fertilized egg to implant in the uterus. Then, the
hormones are released that will cause the body's temperature to be
higher than usual and create a warm, protective environment for the
fertilized egg. These hormones can be detected about 10-14
days after ovulation and fertilization. So, do the math, you
are 2 weeks pregnant counting from the date of conception.
However, because most women don't keep
track of when they have ovulated, OBGYNs count from the first day of
the last menstrual period, assuming that a woman's cycle is normally
about 4 weeks. That, however, is a broad generalization
because women's cycles vary greatly from that average. So, if
you know the approximate average length of your cycles, you can better
adjust the time frame for your pregnancy. If you have a
5-week cycle typically, then you would say that you are 4 weeks
pregnant, even though it has been 5 weeks since your period began, in
order to be more accurate with the way your OB will measure your
pregnancy.
Pregnancy is approximately 40 weeks in
length, counting 4 weeks since your last period started, but not taking
into account a woman who has longer cycles than 4 weeks. So,
if your period was just late, consider yourself 4 weeks pregnant rather
than 5, and add time to account for how long you waited to test after
your period was due. Congratulations! You are 2
weeks pregnant! But, tell your ob that you're 4 weeks
pregnant (or more)!
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